Invest in One Health to prevent pandemics, safeguard populations, strengthen health collaboration: WHO’s call on World Health Day

A pathogen that originates in animals spreads to humans, triggering a pandemic. Drug resistance renders lifesaving medicine useless. Air pollution worsens chronic diseases, reducing life expectancy. Unsafe food systems lead to serious illness. These challenges may seem unrelated, but are part of a singular reality: human, animal and ecosystem health are inextricably connected. Yet too often, these challenges are addressed separately, with fragmented solutions and funding.

This World Health Day, WHO in the Western Pacific Region is calling on Member States, political leaders and policymakers to move beyond words and invest optimally and holistically in a shared vision of One Health.

One Health recognizes that protecting health requires collaboration across sectors, disciplines and countries. Numerous regional and global health emergencies, including the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, have long shown that this integrated approach is essential.

More than 60% of known infectious diseases and up to 75% of emerging diseases come from animals. Each year, zoonotic diseases affect more than 2 billion people and claim over 2 million lives. Around 600 million people fall ill from unsafe food annually. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could cause 10 million deaths each year by 2050. In the Western Pacific alone, 3.5 million people die each year from preventable environmental causes such as air pollution and unsafe water.

"These are not separate problems," said Dr Saia Ma'u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. "They are connected. And so must our solutions be. Working in silos will simply not deliver the impact we need. We have no time to lose."

Across the Western Pacific Region, there are several examples of countries taking action.

In Indonesia, stronger surveillance and vaccination efforts are reducing the risks of zoonotic diseases. In the Pacific island country of Tonga, a national workshop brought together human, animal and environmental sectors to respond to dengue and other threats, paving the way for further multisectoral collaboration. In Malaysia, hospitals are strengthening their response to antimicrobial resistance through coordinated action.

"These and many other efforts show what is possible. But they also highlight what remains to be done. Too often, health challenges are addressed in isolation. Funding is fragmented, leadership is divided and consequently progress is slower than it should be," underscored Dr Piukala. "Political leadership is absolutely essential to bring ministries and sectors together, align investments and act at scale."

"Investing in One Health is not only necessary but also cost effective. Preventing pandemics and other health emergencies costs far less than responding to them. Yet despite the overwhelming evidence, investment has not kept pace with the risks," noted Dr Gina Samaan, WHO Western Pacific Regional Emergency Director.

"The Pandemic Agreement, reached by WHO Member States last year, codifies One Health as absolutely essential. Once a country ratifies the Pandemic Agreement, it becomes legally binding - making it incumbent on that government to fully elevate One Health to the prominence it deserves."

In this regard, World Health Day 2026 coincides with two major global health events happening this week in Lyon, France, with key implications for the Western Pacific Region.

The international One Health Summit, co-hosted by France and Indonesia, and attended by heads of state and ministers, is the highest level gathering ever to advocate for the One Health agenda.

Reflecting the vision of the One Health Quadripartite (the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Environment Programme, the World Health Organization, and the World Organisation for Animal Health), the Summit aims to turn commitments into comprehensive action encompassing zoonotic diseases, AMR, food systems and climate change, aligning with France's G7 Presidency.

This is followed by the Global Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres that reiterates the importance of sustained investments and partnerships not only pertaining to One Health, but science and medicine as a whole.

The Forum celebrates WHO's global network of more than 800 Collaborating Centres, including almost 200 across the Western Pacific Region. These institutions carry out critical research and other activities that help lead to lifesaving scientific discoveries, support countries to detect disease outbreaks earlier, strengthen laboratory systems, improve food safety and build a more prepared health workforce.

"Standing with science means standing with collaboration. It means recognizing that health is shaped by the systems that connect us," said Dr Piukala. "We have an unprecedented opportunity to turn One Health into a true political and societal priority. This is how we protect lives, strengthen security and build a healthier future for all."

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World Health Day, celebrated annually on 7 April, marks the anniversary of the World Health Organization's founding. The 2026 theme is "Together for health. Stand with science," focusing on One Health and scientific collaboration.